Nigeria can use hermetic steel drums to reduce postharvest losses – Amarnani

Hermetic steel drums with a special coating that make them suitable for storage of agricultural goods were recently unveiled as the product of a collaboration between the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) and Pacegate Limited. Umesh Amarnani, managing director of Pacegate shared insights on how this could contribute towards reducing postharvest losses in Nigeria.

Your company recently partnered with the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) to develop Steel drums for agricultural storage, can you expatiate a bit on that partnership?

Pacegate Limited has always had the technology to produce food compatible open head drums which prior till now have not been available in Nigeria. As a manufacturer of United Nations Certified Steel drums, which are suitable drums for export, we knew it was a step in the right direction to offer these drums to the agricultural sector especially those involved with Tomato paste production, Mango, Orange pulps and also dried food products. It was therefore a match made in heaven when the Nigeria Stored Product Research Institute approached us with the Hermetic Storage technology to help both households and farmers store their food properly and longer, especially in the era of excessive spoilage and contamination. We therefore saw this as a national call, which we aptly accepted.

Is there anything unique about these hermetic steel drums?

The demand for high quality and safe food, which must be free of chemical as well as physical contaminants/pathogens, is increasing worldwide, as a result of the health hazard caused by chemicals in foods. This has increased the attention to the application of organic technologies without residues for the protection of stored grains and dried products such as paddyrice, maize, millet, sorghum, cowpea, cocoa, yam chips, dried pepper and tomatoes etc.

Hermetic Storage is a method of using sealed, airtight units such as metals, plastics, polypropylene to control moisture and insects in the storage of dried agricultural commodities. The hermetic storage restricts gas exchanges between the internal and external environments and the stored commodity, maintaining the initial levels of moisture and controlling pests by the lack of oxygen. The available oxygen in the internal ecosystem is reduced to lethal or limiting the respiration of any living orgasm within the system.

Can steel drums be used to store other types of produce asides from dried ones?

Yes. They are especially suitable for pulp and paste products like tomato, orange, mango etc. All over the world open top steel drums are being used in large quantities by farmers for packaging fruit pulp (this is after the given fruit has been processed into a concentrate).

Read also: NSPRI deploys steel drums to tackle postharvest losses

For example, in Brazil, which is the largest producer of Oranges, all their pulp is packaged in Open top Steel drums. Same for Mangoes in India, which is one of the largest exporters of mangoes where in the season time they use special bags placed in open-top steel drums.

In the case of Tomatoes, the global industry standard is to package tomato paste in open-top steel drums.

As these fruit pulp and tomato paste industries are growing sectors in Nigeria, we want the farmers and investors in the agricultural sector to be aware of the availability of open-top steel drums locally

What is your food grade lacquer coating made from?

Originally made from the sap of a particular tree, it is a liquid made of shellac dissolved in alcohol that dries to form a very hard, smooth, protective coating on surfaces like wood and metal.

What are the advantages of using steel drums for the storage of agricultural produce over other storage methods?

The use of airtight steel drums is effective for the reduction of post-harvest loss in dried durable products such as grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, fisheries and livestock. It also reduces the impact of pesticides and aflatoxin contamination.

It is impermeable to rodents, insects and other larger animals. The Steel drum can be used for storage of dried durable products without the fear of damage by stored product pests (insects and rodents) thereby assuring food safety and protecting the economic value of the products.

This method of storage does not require the use of chemicals thereby eliminating the possibility of food poisoning and removing additional costs that may have been incurred as a result of the use of chemicals.

Also, the stored product can be consumed whenever the need arises. The hermetic drum has a lifespan of over thirty years with a payback period of less than three years. The capacity of these steel drums is between 200 – 220KG.

They are incorporated with anti-rust and coated with food-grade lacquer, which protects it from rust and enhances food safety. It is fire and waterproof, with reasonable security against theft at the household level.

It should also be noted that the drum can be used to store multiple crops at the same time. The drum is robust and can be transported with no damage, retaining their air tightness.

What is the current market price for these steel drums?

Each one costs N18,000 excluding VAT. However, there are volume discounts available.

Can prices be lowered to encourage widespread adoption?

We are optimistic that these drums will be well received and accepted across the country. We are working closely with NSPRI and other distributors to make the products available wherever needed. With increased demand comes increased volumes and economies of scale. We hope the Federal, State and Local Governments will help push the new storage method as it has a lot of impact on the health of the population.

What are your expectations with the NSPRI collaboration?

In one word: Awareness! Through the NSPRI, we hope that processing plants and end users are made aware of the numerous benefits of using these steel drums and they will embrace it for both economic and health gains.

Does Pacegate have plans to collaborate with other bodies, both private and public to promote the use of steel drums?

Yes. We are open to discussion and collaboration with other stakeholders.